Automatic stoker



Paten-reci Aug. 24, 1926.

isaiasi" UNITED STATES.- 4PATENT OFFICE@ nnwrN nonnen-EN) or rnnnn'nrcx, MARYLAND, AssreNon To coMB'UsTroN ENGI- :rename conroBATIom-ernnw Yoax, N. Y.; A conronATroN or NEW' Yonx.

AUTOMATIC sToxart Application `meu muy 1,

' .The present invention relates to Vfurnaces or stokerso'f the type in which the fuel' while 'in the coursel of 4combustion isfed progressively vtoward al discharge voutlet through whichv the refuse of the fuel is automatically discharged.

An object of thejinvention is to provide a novel and improvedfurnace of thls char` 1y, ,of Fig. 1; Y

acter.

A more specific object of the inventionis to provide novel and improved refuse crushing 'and expelling means fora' furnace of this character.

Another object of the inventionis to pro-A vide a novel and improved `discharge out. let or ash .pit for a furnace vof this char With these and other'objects in view the features 'of the invention consist in certain constructions, arrangements and combinaf tions of parts hereinafter described and claimed, the advantages of which'will be:

Fig.v 4 is a. detail sectional plan View on an enlarged scale taken 'substantially ont pelling means that may beused; and

theline 4.-4 of Fig. 1;

.Figi- 3 is -an elevation of the the stolzer illustrated in' Fig. 4;. l

Fig. 6 1s a vertical-section, partly in ele-y vation, takenl on the rI ine 66 of 5; v

Fig '7 is a plan view of -a, portion --of a modified form of refusecrushing and ex-' Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken onthe.

line 8-,8vof Fig.. 7.V 1I

TheJ fume@ illustrated inn-drawings is provided with anunderfeed grate section 2 and an overfeed rate section 3.4 The underfeed' grate sectioncomprise's a plurality offdownwardly andrearwardly in- .that is controlled by a pending apron 12 is mounted directly being the width ofthe furnace,`

v'up offa plurality of sections portion `ofA i922. f sensi ne. 572,190. v

'ciined retorts 4 that are arranged side by side and spaced apart, and the outer wallsy of theouter retorts are spaced from the side Walls of the-furnace, with rows of .tuyre blocks s'anning spaces between the.

margins of the a jacent walls of the retorts, outer walls of the outer retorts and the side vwalls of the furnace.A

vThe' several retorts and rows of tuyre blocks constitute theaupperwall of a wind box 6 to which compressed airfis adapted to be supplied t. rough' a pipe -7, the supply of air being controlled by a damper 8 which is mounted in the pipe and operable from the front of;the furnace in the usual manner.

f The overfeed grate 'section 3 is of bo`xlike construction, and its rear wall 'is pro` vided'with 'tuyre openings and is curved ydownwardly and rearwardly as shown in Fig. 1. Air is supplied to this grate section from the wind box'6 through a passage damper 10. A delow thegrate section 3 and together .with the grate section 3 forms the front wall of a -discharge outlet or ashpit 14 extendwall 16 of the furnace forming the rear wall of Ithe ash pit. The apron 12 is-ma-de (Fig. 3) that are provided 'with' forwardly projecting hook members 17 at their up er ends which are pivotally hung on :an ang jecting rearward-lyrfrom an' tion is seated ina groove 23" in the forward upper edge of a bar 25 extending between -end ofeach section of the apron 12\is connected by a vlink 24 with the free end ofl an arm 26 secured on a shaft 28.` The shaft 28 is mounted for pivotal movement in suit the bridge l e inon. 18 havi jing its ends supported by brackets 20 advjacent the side walls of the furnace andpro- Ibeam22- The l loweredgeof the apron when in closeduposi- .the sidewalls ofthe furnace. The lower ablebearings in brackets30 secured to the I-beam 22. An actuating arm 32 is formed integral with -one of the arms 26 and its free en d is connected by a link 34 with the free end ofthe depending arm of a bell crank 36 v pivotall mounted on a bracket at the front ,of the urnace. The other arm of thebell crank 36 is in the form of a gear segment 38 which is engaged by a worm 40 carried by a vertical shaft 42 having ahand operated wheel 44 secured on its upper end. Vith this construction it will be apparent that by turning the hand wheel 44 the apron l2 as a whole may be swung forwardly to permit access to the interior of the ash p it.

The upper portion of the bridge wall 16 is provided with tuyre blocks 46 through which air may be supplied to the ash pit from an air passage 48' at the rear of the blocks which is connected with a suitable source of air supply. The bridge wall 16 isl further provided with a liquid spraying device 50 locatedadjacent the under side of the section of tuyre blocks and arranged to spray water or steam into the ash pit.

As 'illustrated the stoker is provided with main feeding'devices 52 for delivering the fuel from hoppers 54 at the front of the furnace to the several retorts, and is furtherl provided-with auxiliary feeding devices 56 for cooperating with the main feeding devices to feed the burning fuel longitudinally of the retorts'and toward the ash pit. As these fuel feeding devices are -of a. well known construction they are not specifically described herein.

' The stoker illustrated in the drawings is provided with a plurality .of rotatable clinker crushingl and expelling devices which are arranged near thel bottom of the ash pit with their axes extending fore and aft of the furnace. These clinker -crushing and expelling devices are arranged in pairs and are in the form of rolls 58 having the usual radially projecting crushing'teeth60,

- The left hand roll of each pair, viewing Fig. 4, is mounted on a squared shaft 62 having its forward end extending through an aperture in the cross bar 25 and j ournaled in a bearing on an I-beam 64, and the other end of eachshaft 62 extends through and is journaled in a bearing on an I-beam 66 that forms a support for the bridge wall 16. The right hand roll of each pair is secured on a shaft 68 having its forward end .extending .through an aperture in the cross bar 25 and journaled in a `bearing on the I-beam 64, and having its rear lend portion extending throughand journaled 'in a bearing on the I-beam 66 and its extreme end journaled in a bearing on an I-beam 67. The left hand roll of each pair is rotated in a' clockwise direction and Athe right hand roll of each pair is rotated in the opposite direction so that the rolls of each pair cooperate to crush and ex-` pel the clinkers and ashes downwardly be-` tween them. ,The rolls are thus actuated by a crank shaft 70, journaled in bearings in the I-beams 66 and 67 and connected with \the'several shafts 62 and 68. The connections betweenthe shafts 62 and 68 and the crank shaft comprise ratchet wheels 72 ved by a link 80 with a crank-pin 82 ofa crank formed on the crank shaft 7 0, and the upper ends of the yokes 76 associated with the shafts 68 are all pivotally connected with I a reciprocating rod 84 which is connected by a link 86 with a crank-pin87' ofa crank formed on the crank shaft 70. The cranks on Vthe crankshaft 70 associated with the rods 78 and 84, respectively, are arranged diametrically opposite each other as shown in Fig. 5 so that upon rotation of the crank shaft 70 the rods are reciprocated in opposite directions with relation toeach other and the' teeth of the ratchetwheels 72 and the pawls 74 associated with the shafts 62 and 68, respectively, are so arranged that the clinker crushing and expelling rolls ofeach pair are rotated in the desired reverse directions upon the said reciprocationsof the rods `78 and 84. l Y

In the illustrated construction means is provided for regulating the speed o f rotation of the clinker crushing rolls 5B independently ofeach other. As shown a yoke shaped lever 88 is pivotally mounted oneach of the shafts 62 and 68 with the sides of each lever interposed between the ratchet lwheel andthe sides of the yoke 7 6. The upper ends of the levers 88 are each provided l pawl. The angular positions .of the control-A ling levers 88 are adapted tobe independently adjusted by means of rods 92 p'ivotally connected with the-lowerends of the levers 88, respectively, and extending to a convenent position outside of a sidewall of the fur- 12 correspond in number and arrangement to the rolls, so that the width of the stoker may be easily increasedormade to such vdimensions as desired by lmerely, increasing the number ofthese parts. .This construction also enables the front and rear Walls of the ash pit to diverge downwardly'towards and not properly'engage the rolls.

the clinker rolls, as shown in Fig. 1, thus insuring proper engagement of the ashes ,withthe rolls, which is not the case in ash pits vwhere the front and rear walls converge toward the clinker 'rolls as it has been ound that in suchprior construction the ashes are liable to become packed in the ash pit The beam 66 and the cross bar 25 on which the lower'end of the apron 12 is seated, close.

the spaces betweenthe ends of the rolls, so

. as to prevent the ashes from working out longitudinally of the rolls.

Vith this arrangement of the clinker crushing rolls it will be apparent that an unbroken clinker crushing and ashexpelling surface is provided which is not obtainable in constructions in which the rolls are arranged at right angles to the present arrangement. In such prior constructions bearings forthe shafts of the rolls are reuired at certain intervals and it has been ound that clink'ers are liable to form on thesebearings that cannot bel disposed of by the rolls. It will also be apparent thatA the provision'for independent adjustment of the lspeed of operation of the clinker -crush.

ing rolls permits the rate` of fthe discharge of the refuse'for different areas of the ash pit to be varied as desired.

In the modified construction. j-.of refuse crushing and expelling .meansillustrated in Figs. 7 .and 8 a series of 'clinker crushing rolls 94 is provided which rollsare spaced apart and arranged fore and 'aft of the furnace, and bars 96 extending' between the.

sidewalls o f the furnace are arranged between the rollsand have clinker crushing teeth 98 on opposite sides thereof which' ccoperate with the teeth onthe rolls. l

` As will be evident to those skilled in the artmy invention permits of various modifi# cations without departing lfrom the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is: l

`1. A. furnace having, in combination, a

support for fuel in the course of combustion, a. discharge outlet for the refuse ofthe fuel, means-for feeding the fuel towards said outT let, a vplurality of rotatable'refuse crushing and expelling members mounted'in said outlet with their axes extending in the general direction of the feed ofthe fuel',\and means for rotating said members having p rovision for adjustment to vary the relative speed of' rotation thereof.

,2. A furnace having, -in combination, a

support for fuel in the course of combustion,

a discharge outlet forthe refuse ofthe fuel, means for feeding the fuell towards said outlet, a-rpairof rotatable-refuse crushing and expelling members mounted in said outlet with their axes extending in the general direction-of the feed of 'the fuel, and means for rotatingsaid members iny opposite directions so4 as' to cause the refuseto pass be-A bers mounted in said outlet,'alternate meml bers being arranged with their. axes in a plane withA the axes'of the retorts, respectively, and the other' members being arranged with-their axes in a plane with the axes of the rowsoftuyre blocks, respectively, and means lfor rotating' saidmembers associated with said retorts and rows 'of tuyre blocks, respectively, -in* opposite directions. 4. A furnace having, in combination, an underfeed grate section comprising a plurality of retorts and rows of tuyre blocks arranged in alternate relation, a discharge outlet for the refuse of the fuel, means. for feeding the fuel while' yin the course Ofcombustion towards said outlet, a plurality` of rotatable refuse -lcrushing `and expelling members mounted in said outlet, alternate members being arranged with their axes in the planes ofl the axes of the retorts andthe other members arranged with their 'axes inthe planes ofthe axes of the rows o f tuyr'e blocks, respectively, and means for rotating said members associated with said retorts and rows of tuyre blocks, respectively, .-in

opposite directions, having' provision 'for,'

adjustment to vary the speed of rotation,"fof

oneor more of said members with relation to the others.

5. A'furnace having, in combination, ya-

support for Afuel in the courseI of'combusv tion, a .discharge outlet for the refuse of the fuel means for feeding the fuel Atoward said* outlet, 'a `pair of rotatable ref-use crushing :'-f

and expellinggmembers mounted insaid outlet with their axes extendingin'the general direction of thefeed of the fuel, and means' forimparting an intermittent rotary movement to said members in op'posite. direction witllli relation to each other so'- as to cause the re 6. A furnace having, 'in combination, a support for fuel in the course of combustion, a discharge outlet for the refuse of the fuel, means for feeding' the fuel toward said outlet, Va pair of rotatable refuse crushingand ex-v pelling members mounted in said outlet with' se to pass between them, each member Vbeing' rotated continually in but one direction. f

their axes extending in the general direction of the feed of the fuel, and means for imparting an intermittent rotary movement to said .members in. opposite directions with relation to each other so as to cause the refuse to pass between them, said means having provision for adjustment to vary tion, means for feeding the fuel while in thev the extent of the intermittent movements of one of the members withtrelationto the other member.

7.'A furnace having, in combination, van underfeed grate section, an overfeed grate section following'the underfeed section, a discharge outlet for the refuse of the fuel adjacent the rear end of the overfeed secunderfeed grate section` an overfeed grate section following the underfeed section and curved downwardly and rearwardlyV and having tuyre openings, means for directing air through said tuyre openings, a removable apron extending downwardly from the lower end of said overfeed section, a wall spaced back of said overfeed section and apronv to cooperatetherewith to form a dlscharge outlet for the refuse of the fuel, said wall having openings for the admission of fluid into said outlet, and a plurality.

of rotatable refusecrushing and expelling devices having their forward ends arranged below and adjacent the lower end of said apron and their rear ends arrangedvadjacent4 the rear wall of the discharge outlet.

9. A furnace having, in combination, a support for fuel in the course of combustion, a discharge outlet for the refuse of the fuel, means for feeding the fuel towards said outlet, a plurality of rotatable refuse crushing and expelling rolls mounted in said outlet with their axes extending in the general direction of the feed of the fuel, and means for intermittently rotating said menibers comprising ratchet wheels secured to said members, respectively, pawls for actuating said ratchet wheels actuating levers on which the pawls are mounted, and means for actuating said levers 'comprising a -pair of reciprocating rods, connections between parting reciprocating movements to the rods one of tlie rods land the levers associated with alternate rolls, and connections between the other rod and the levers associated with the other rolls means for imin opposite directions with relation to each other, and independently operable devices associated with said pawls, respectively, for cont-rolling the extent of the intermittent movements imparted to each ratchet wheel.

10. A furnace having, in combination, an

underfeed grate section, an overfeed grate section following the underfeed section, a'

discharge outlet' for the refuse of the fuel having -its front and rear walls diverging downwardly, means for feeding the fuel while in the course of combustion toward .said outlet, and a plurality of rotatable refuse crushing and. expelling members mounted near the lower end of said discharge outlet -with their axes extending in the general direction of the feedof the fuel.

ll. A furnace having, in combination, a support for fuel in the course of combustion, a discharge outlet for the refuse of the fuel, the side walls of the furnace -forming the side walls of said outlet, meansfor feeding the fuel toward said outlet, and an ash discharging means extending the width of said outlet having provision for adjustment to vary the rate of the discharge of the ashes at points spaced different distances from a side wall of the furnace.

l2. A furnace having, in combination, av

support for fuel in the course of combustion, a discharge outlet for the refuse of the fuel, means for feeding the fuel toward said outlet, a plurality vof refusecrushing Aand expelling rolls mounted in said outlet, ar-

of the fuel, spaced apart and having clinker crushing teeth, and bars arranged between said rolls having clinker crushing lteeth for cooperating with the teeth on the rolls.

13. A furnace having, in combination, a downwardly andrearwardly inclined underfeed grate section, an overfeed grate section at the rear of the underfeed section, an ash pit at the rear of the overfeed section hav! ing its front and rearwalls diverging .down- -wardly, and refuse crushing and expelling means comprisnng'l a clinker crushing .roll

arrangedat the bottom of said ash pit, said rear wall being -inclined downwardly andrearwardlyfrom said front wall from substantially'theupper level ofthe material in the ash pit,

14. A furnace having, in combination, a downwardly inclined underfeed grate section, an overfeed grate section following the underfeed section, an ash pitv at the rear of -the overfeed section having its rear Wall inclined downwardly and rearwardly from substantially the upper level of the material in theash-pit and its front wall inclined downwardly and forwardly Aso as to provide downwardly diverging walls,A and refuse vcrushingand expelling means com- `prising a clinker`l crushing roll'arranged at the bottom of the ash pit.

15. A furnace having, in combination, a

ranged in the general direction of the feed p downwardly inclined under-feed grate section, an overfeed grate section at the rear of the underfeed section, and an ash pit at the rear of the' overfeed section having l the upper portion of its reary wall inclined downwardly and rearwardly and comprisingv a plurality of air admitting blocks covering an area extending from near the upper level of the fuel to the lower portion of the ash pit, the front and rear walls of the ash pit dverging downwardly, and refuse expelling means at the lower end of the ash pit.

` EDWIN LUNDGREN. 

